Eric Galton Saint

Eric Galton Saint (28 November 1918 – 21 February 1989) was an English Australian physician and professor of medicine. Saint tried to forewarn authorities of the Wittenoom Industrial Disaster. With a continuously rising death toll now believed to be in excess of 2000 people, the Wittenoom Industrial Disaster is widely considered to be Australia's largest industrial tragedy.

Education Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Saint attended Royal Grammar School.

The mine continued to operate until 1966 when it was closed for economical reasons. About a decade after the mine's closure, it soon became apparent that many former residents of Wittenoom were succumbing to asbestos-related diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma. This included employees who had worked in the mine, their partners who had washed their dusty work clothes and their children who had played in the asbestos tailings which were scattered throughout the town.

Asked if he believed there were people who should be blamed for the emerging disaster, Saint said proportioning blame was for the courts to decide, but added that he felt sad that no action was taken at the time by people in positions of responsibility. He was also credited with being instrumental in establishing a medical school at the University of Western Australia in 1956, and was one of its nine foundation professors. While in Queensland, Saint briefly served as the president of the Queensland Council of Social Service from 1969 to 1970. It was the state's longest running civil court case. Saint's letters and attempt at warning of the dangers of asbestos in 1948 were considered pivotal to the ultimate judgement against CSR Limited.

Death Saint died from coronary artery disease on 21 February 1989 in the western Perth suburb of Nedlands.